This invention relates to an apparatus to control the relative axial position of a pair of rolls each having a bearing journal at opposite ends of a roll body for rotatable support by bearing chocks within one of the windows of a pair of spaced-apart mill housings. More particularly, the present invention relates to such an apparatus which includes a keeper plate with a clevis at one end thereof supported by a mill housing to engage opposite sides of a gear ring member while the gear teeth thereon mesh with a pinion gear carried by the keeper plate; the arrangement of parts being such that the gear ring member is connected to a pair of jam nuts threadedly stressed on an annular chock extension member for moving the chock in a direction into or out of the mill housing.
In the rolling of metal with grooved rolls such as commonly employed in a 2-high rolling mill for producing rods, bars, billets, shaped products and the like, the rolls are positioned with respect to one another through adjustments in two planes. The first roll adjustment is carried out by employing screwdown assemblies supported by the mill housings to engage the chocks at opposite ends of one of the rolls to move the chocks along a housing window and thereby position the body of the roll relative to the body of the other roll which is usually stationary within the mill housing. The second roll adjustment is in a direction which is parallel to the rotational axis of the roll for the purpose of aligning the pass openings in one roll with respect to the pass openings in the cooperating roll. The rolls are usually anchored against axial movement by keeper plates attached to the mill housing and engaging at least one of the bearing chocks for each of the rolls. Because of the forces involved which sometimes bring about a resolution of forces in the axial direction of the roll, the anchoring thereof against axial movement as well as the apparatus used to carry out axial adjustment of the roll must be robust and at the same time effectively controllable for accurate and small amounts of movement of the roll in an axial direction. The apparatus employed for retaining the roll against axial movement within the housing windows and for axial adjustment of the roll must not impede removal and/or replacement of the roll assemblies which is required from time-to-time.